Nut-huller



l. A. CONNEH.

NUT HULLER. APPucATloN msn FEB. l. 192|.

YLszoze, PatentedAug.16,1921

FIGURE 5 FIGURE 4:

INVENTOFI4 ATTQRNEY .umm STATES` PATENT.

JOSEPH A. comme; or jsAivrA onanacarrronnraf.

NUT-HULLER. l

' specification of Lettrsratent. V patented Au'gbmp 1921..

Application led February 1., 19.21; Serial No; 441,637.

It is the ob'ect of my invention to providea machine of .the character indicated equipped with meansfor preventing injury to the nuts in their passage therethrough;

withmeansfor effecting a positive discharge ofjthe nuts and hulls therefrom; `and with means vfor separatingthe nuts fromthe` hullsl It is a further objectto provide a machine embodyingvthe above indicated mechanisms which will bel compact inform,- simpie in constructionand yhighly eiicient in its practical application. v A

In the-drawing:-

i 1 Figure 1 is a ,side elevationy ofmy invention. Y x n Fig 2 isa planviewofthe same. Y

' Fig. 3 is alsectionalvie'won line 3T3 of ,'Fig. .4 is` a sectional -view on linz-1,454,013 Fig.; 3. i l

Y Referringfmore particularly'to the Vdraw- .ing,--atY 1-1--1-1 are shown four posts mounted'on base members '2 and yhaving a cylindrical shell 3 ,rigidly mounted thereon by rivets4. A t` 5'is alhopper concentrically arranged with relation Atosh'ell 3 `and adjustably suspendedthereover on posts 1 by nut leversj, the {same being mounted'on bolts7 in bearings8, said bolts passing vthrough angular slots in `hopper'..4V A re- -verse movementof levers v6-loosen's theh'opper so thatit maybeturnedto the right or left thereby raising `or'lowering the sameby means of angular kslots 9, a jforward move- Vment oflevers `6 again lookingthehopper in position. v M Y Y Hopper 5 is provided With a central opening 11 provided with a flange 12 supporting a horizontally-- arrangedcircula-r brush 13 lhaving la-V central ,opening 14 and supportedat its outer edge bybraces thereto and to vhopper At 16 is shown` an annu larl member( held in n splod relation to shell3- andbrushllBjby y 15 attached boltsiasl'lsetlin shellf3 and supporting a ,depending iiexiblecurtain 18. I Y

In. axial alinement with openings 11 and 14 and mounted on base members2, isa bearing member 19 having a stub shaft 20 mounted. therein and provided withva set collar 21 at its lower end and havinga bevel gear 22 keyed toits upper endas shown, lthe latter carryinga huller plate 23 of substantially thesamediameter as brush 13v andvprovided ywith baie bars 24. rlhis ,plate'213 is rotated at high speed by means .of'a gear 25 meshfing with gear 22-and mounted onshaft 26 inbearings 27;and driven by-pulley a sourceof powernot shown'. l

Y At 29 is .a ,discharge plate vmounted in rollers 30 onshell 3. and provided. with a vertically arranged, annular flange, 31 ust below and` within the circle described-by 28 fam Vhuller-plate 23,1.` Withinflange31the .plate I y29 is `perforated as atj32 to engagea sprocket -Y VV33 mounted on shaft 26, so that whenhuller plate 23- is rotated at highspeed theplate 29 is rrotated V inv the same directiony at g a slower rate vof speed owing tothe smaller size of sprocket 33 fandits distance fromthe-'vertical axisy ofthe revolving members. Shell 3 lis provided `with a perforated Adischarge chute 34, and a baiie plate 35'-is,:arr`anged as shown with oneend terminating-in chute .34'v andthe .other end ,advancedv a' distance into closeproXimity tofiange 131 so that material carried byplate 29 will bescraped offby member r35 and caused to fall into chute` 3,4.

At 36'is a cylindricalscreen provided with a spiral element 37 'extendingfrom one endv thereof to theother andk :attached to 'theinner/surface thereof. VThis screen36is arranged to receive the material dischargedk over lchute 34 and is provided with annular ytracks 38 to `en".( ;age-rollers as 39,the said rollers 39 being mounted onshafts 40 and the vshafts-40.beingmounted` in bearings 41 on base members 2. Shafts 40 are provided withv bevel-gears 42 .engaginggears 43. on

ings-45 on base members .2.and.driven by v.sprocket 46, chain-47 and sprocket 48 0n shafty 27.V .The 'material passingjthrough vshaftl .44, vthe latter being mountedin bearcylinder 36 may be washed by'. a sprayY of* liquid'from asuitably. arranged nozzleas 49.

1 k'When the-device vis in operation the nutsv are dumped intohop'per 5 directly fromthe orchard. The nuts pass through openings on to huller plate the revolving ofA i i between it and the brush 13 thereover, this said plate causing them to move outvvardly lelement as 18 to receive the impact of the nuts their lateral movement is arrested Without injury to them and they fall, together With the hulls, upon plate 29.` Sincevplate 29 is revolving in the direction indicated by the arrow vbot-h "nutsv and hulls are scraped oft of plate 29 bv member 35 into chute 34 'through the orifices in which some ofthe hull portions pass.v From chute34 the remaining vhulls andthe nuts drop into cylinyder 36 and are moved forvvardtoward the discharge end thereof by spiral element 37.

The mesh of cylinderv 36 is such that all of the broken hullsdrop therethrough so that by the time the hulled nuts are discharged vfrom the cylinder they are cleaned and ready to spreadout on trays for drying. l

In order to more effectually*` clean the nuts `and remove alls'ubstances that might stain them a spray of liquid is injected ,intothe cylinder and over the nuts passing therethrough. l

The operating mechanism is of course ari rangedto drive the plate 23,. plate 29 and pac screenl36 at proper speeds to move the material thereover without congestion.y Y

It. is to be understood, of course, that While I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention,

" that this disclosure is tor be considered. as

illustrative' only and in novvvay to limit the scope ofthe inventionas set fror'thin the appended claims,` since changes in form, size, proportions, construction and method of operation may be'made Without departing from the spirit of thevr invention.

Iclaimz j 1.- A nut hulling machine including afrevloluble huller plate, a brush lmounted in spaced and substantially parallel relation thereto, means for feeding'nuts to be hulled on to the central portion of said plate, and a buffer element mounted to receive the imvt of the hulled nuts discharged by said 2. A nut hulling machine includingr a rev- -oluble huller plate, a brush mounted in spaced and substantially parallel relation thereto, means for feeding nuts to be hulled `on to the centralV portion of saidplate, a

supporting ring .mounted in spacedv relation to said brush and concentrictherewith, and a flexible buffer `element depending from said ring.

oluble huller plate, ra brush mounted in Vdri'clbody member, a

l l Y ranged brush depending A nut hulling machine, including ya revspaced and substantially parallel relation thereto, vmeans for feeding nuts to be hulled on to the central portion of said plate, a re- Vceiver for the nuts and hulls discharged from said plate having a discharge opening therein, a revoluble bottom for said receiver, and a baille plate rigidly mounted in said receiver to engage the nuts and hulls on said revolving bottom and direct` them through said discharge opening.

4f.. A nut hulling machine including a revoluble huller plate, a brush mounted 4in spaced rand substantially parallel relation charged by said huller plate, means for si multaneously'revolving both ofvsaid plates in the same direction and operating said huller plate at a higher vspeedlthan said receivingplate, and means for discharging material from said receiving plate when revolving. A Y y t 6. A nut hulling machine including arevoluble rhuller plate, a'brush 'mounted in spaced and substantially parallel relation thereto, means forfeeding nuts to be hulled on to the central portion of said plate, a revoluble receiving fplate for material discharged by said huller plate and having -an upstanding flange thereon, means for simultaneously revolving both of said plates at unequal speeds,'and` a vertically positioned baiiieplate rigidly'arranged contiguous to said receiving plateand said upstandingv flange, and having onewportion thereof advanced in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of said plate.

7. A nutlhulling machine including a revoluble huller plate, a brush mounted in spaced and substantially parallel relation thereto, means for feeding nuts to be hulled on to the central portion'of said plate, a revoluble receiving plate for material discharged vby. said huller plate, means for simultaneously revolving both of said plates at unequal speeds, and meansy for discharging material from said receiving plate When revolving. f Y V 8` A nut hullinglmachine including cylicenter-discharge hopper mounted thereover, a horizontally arfrom said hopper, a huller plate arranged to revolve in spaced relation to said brush'and receive material fromsaid hopper, a receiverplate revolubly mounted in said cylindrical body below said huller plate and provided with an up-r formed therein within said flange, a drivenshaft, a gear connection between said shaft and said huller plate, and a sprocket mounted on said shaft in engagement with said orifices in said receiving plate.

9. A lnut hulling machine including a cylindrical body Ymember, va center-discharge hopper mounted thereover, a horizontally arranged brush depending from said hopper, a huller plate arrangedY to revolve in spaced relation to said brush and receive material from said hopper, rollers mounted on Said body member below said huller plate, a receiver plate mounted on said rollers and provided with an upstanding flange of less diameter than said huller plate and having a plurality of equally spaced radially arranged orifices Jformed therein within said flange, a driven shaft, a gear connection between said shaft and said huller plate, and a sprocket mounted on said shaft in engage ment with said orifices in Said receiving plate.

10. A nut hulling machine including a cylindrical body member, a centerdischarge hopper mounted thereover and having a plurality of positioned slots formed therein, tally arranged brush depending from said hopper, a huller plate arranged to revolveY `in spaced relation to said brush and receive material from said hopper, and means for adjusting said brush with relation to said huller plate, said last mentioned means similarly arranged angularly a horizoncomprising a bolt engaging each slot in said hopper, a rigid support Jfor each bolt, and a locking nut mounted on each bolt. f JOSEPH A. CONNER. 

